from
A
History of Coleman County and Its People, 1985 edited
by Judia and Ralph Terry, and Vena Bob Gates - used by permission--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The
first church building was erected in Coleman County in 1882. The
dimensions of this wood frame building were 30 feet by 45 feet. Years
later the building was lengthened to 57 feet. Located at 201 San
Saba Street in Coleman, it served as a community church where all faiths
went to worship. The property was Lot 3 and the west ½ of
Lot 2, Block 10 in the townsite of Coleman.

Reverend
William B. Bloyes came to Coleman as a minister of the Northern Presbyterian
Church and offered services first in the old “rawhide” lumber courthouse
and later on the second floor (which was the Masonic Hall) of the present
Bowen Drug Store. Later that same year the Reverend Bloyes and the
Presbyterians acquired the new church building at 201 San Saba Street.

On
October 30, 1890, the following five men: M. M. (Marion M.) Callan, Fred
Studer, Mike Bolan, James J. Callan and J. P. Lynn, spent $300.00 and bought
for the Catholic Church Lot 4 and the west ½ of Lot 5, Block 10.
This property was just south and adjacent to the Presbyterian Church and
is the property on which the new Sacred Heart Church stands today, at the
corner of East College Avenue and San Saba Streets. For some 69 years,
Lot 4 and the west ½ of Lot 5 in Block 10 was vested in the trustees,
before being deeded to Bishop Reicher of the Diocese of Austin, in which
Coleman was located at the time.

After
the purchase of this property there was still no Catholic Church in Coleman.
Then, on December 28, 1892, the Catholics of Coleman, under the leadership
of Mr. F. Beck, bought the original wood frame building from the Presbyterians
in the name of the Most Reverend T. F. Brennan, Bishop of Dallas, within
whose territory Coleman was at the time. The deed was signed by W.
O. Reed and R. S. Bowen, Trustees of First Presbyterian Church. Although
the Catholics of Coleman now had a church, there was no resident priest
to serve the congregation until 1950.

At
first, masses in Coleman were offered in the Callan family home.
The old bureau desk was used for the altar of sacrifice. A cherished
heirloom, it has passed down to succeeding generations in the Callan family.
Before 1910, priests would come occasionally from Dallas to offer mass
and administer the sacraments in Coleman and nearby settlements.
Also priests stationed in Brownwood would stop at Coleman to administer
the sacraments when on their way to Ballinger for services. During
those first years mass was offered in Coleman about once a month.
After 1910, the priests in Ballinger took care of the Coleman parish, first
traveling by train once a month. After the advent of the automobile,
starting in the late twenties, the priests traveled from Ballinger to Coleman
by car each Sunday.

In
November of 1954, the parish received its first Diocesan priest, when Father
Steve Montenegro was appointed as resident pastor. Segregation existed
in the parish for many years. Anglos were seated in front of the
church and Hispanics in the rear, until the coming of Father Montenegro.
In 1927, a Father Diego gave a mission to the Hispanic people of the parish.
Only then were many of them prepared through instructions to receive the
Sacraments.

In
1923, further additions were made to the wooden church frame building.
A kitchen, bedroom and bath were added to the rear of the building.
Visiting priests would use these quarters as they sometimes stayed overnight
in Coleman. Augustin Ramirez was the custodian who took care of the
premises at that time, and he was given the small wooden crucifix originally
used on the altar.

A
Catholic Chapel was built in Santa Anna in 1914 and named St. Patrick Church.
Prior to that time, mass was offered occasionally in the home of the Mahoney
family in Santa Anna. In 1941, the church in Santa Anna was moved
to Brownwood. Since then Catholics in Santa Anna have attended mass
and services in Coleman. However, in 1949, Father Slattery came from
Ballinger once a month to offer mass in Santa Anna in a private home belonging
to Nestor De Leon.

In
April of 1957, while still remaining under the title of a parish, Sacred
Heart came under the care of the Diocesan priests in Brownwood. Father
Leopold Bujnowski, pastor of St. Mary’s in Brownwood, together with his
assistant pastors, took change of the parish. It was under Father
Leo’s administration that plans for a new church were formulated.
The assistant pastors who helped care for Sacred Heart were Fathers B.
Mahoney and Benedict Zientek.

On
June 15, 1958, in the Centennial Year of Coleman County, ground was broken
for the construction of the new Sacred Heart Church. Construction
began on June 17, 1958 and the church was completed in February of 1959.
It was formally dedicated the following month by the Most Reverend L. J.
Reicher, Bishop of Austin. The Catholic Church Extension Society
gave a grant toward the construction of the church. The Building
Committee members who helped plan the church were: M. J. Brannon, Eldon
Knox, J. F. Hanke, Hunter Woodruff and Santos Mendoza.

The
new Sacred Heart Church is of contemporary design and seats 236.
The rectory is an integral part of the building and is situated across
the rear of the church building. The building is constructed of face
brick for the exterior walls, trimmed with natural stone and with exposed
face brick in the nave and plaster finish in the rectory. Roof of
the church is supported by exposed wooden arches with the wood roof deck
exposed in the nave. Floors of the church are terrazzo while the rectory
floors are of oak. Windows are of steel with opalescent glass in
the church and clear glass in the rectory. Wainscot in the nave is
of oak and projects from the main wall so as to conceal the heating ducts.
Roof of the church is of asbestos shingles while the rectory roof is tar
and gravel. The tower contains a bell operated by an electric bell
ringer. After the completion of the new church, Father Benedict Zientek,
assistant pastor of St. Marys in Brownwood, came to live in Coleman and
take care of the parish.

Sacred
Heart Church has been, in the course of its history, within three Dioceses.
From its first years until November 29, 1947, it was in the Diocese of
Dallas; in the Diocese of Austin until October 16, 1961, when Coleman County
became territory of the newly created Diocese of San Angelo. Until
this time. Sacred Heart Church in Coleman had not been canonically erected
as a parish. Therefore, on March 20. 1962. Bishop Thomas J.
Drury of San Angelo canonically created the Parish of Sacred Heart at Coleman,
having as its boundaries all the County of Coleman. The following month,
on April 1, Bishop Drury appointed the Reverend Leopold Bujnowski as pastor.
Father Leo remained as pastor until 1970. He was followed by: Leo
Diersing, 1970-1977; John Waldron, 1977-1978; Louis Moeller, 1978-1979;
John Pierce, 1979-1979 and Lawrence Cyr, C.P,P.S., 1979 to the present.
During the pastomate of Father Diersing the debt was paid off on October
1, 1974.

In
1980, plans were formulated by Father Cyr and the parishioners for the
building of a new parish hall to replace the old frame structure originally
built in 1882, and which had served as the church for so many years.
After the new church was built the old was converted for use as a parish
hall in 1959. Because of the condition of the wood frame building,
it was deemed inadvisable to try to renovate it and it was torn down to
make way for the new structure. Groundbreaking for the new Parish
Hall took place on December 5, 1981. The building Committee members
who helped plan the structure with Father Cyr were: Santos Mendoza, Sr.
(Chairman), James Hausenfluke, Joe Hanke, Jr., Chris Knox and Raymond De
Leon. Before the completion of the building, Anna Kleman replaced
Raymond De Leon on the committee. Construction was begun in February
of 1982. The building was dedicated by Bishop Fiorenza of San Angelo
on June 6, and completed in August of that same year. The Catholic
Church Extension Society gave a grant of $15,000.00 toward the completion
of the project. The new Parish Hall is located on Lot 3 and the west
½ of Lot 2, Block 10 at 201 San Saba Street. It measures 70
feet by 100 feet and is basically a steel building faced with brick, matching
the church. It contains a social center, five classrooms, an office,
a large storeroom, a large well equipped kitchen and two rest rooms with
showers.

The
Stations of the Cross were erected in the original church but were transferred
to the new church in 1959. They were originally plain white stations,
but before being placed in the new church they were painted by Sherold
Carville in the colors they have today.

Approximately
150 families are registered as members of Sacred Heart Church, of whom
75% are Hispanic and 25% Anglo.